Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125724
.... f ... I .... ~ Cll ~ ",,' .. > :E ~ w Z W ..J U >- U 250cc JUNIOR-EXPERT Aussie Snatches 50-Miler FLOWERY BRANCH, GA., April 24, 1971 - Kel Carrtuthers made it seven wins in a row here today as he outdistanced over 40 other 250cc machines' and easily held off a late-charging Cal Rayborn' to take the combined AMA Junior-Expert 50-miIer. The transplanted Aussie, who now makes his home in EI Cajon, Calif. rode a Den Vesco-prepared Yamaha off the pole position and averaged over 87 mph to take the checkers with a scant advan tage over Rayborn, a San DiegEl, Calif. ace who was also piloting a Vesco Yamaha. As has become stancfard in lightweight road racing, two-stroke machines were the most popular mounts and the fmal results gave a good indication why - all of the top finishers rode two-strokes and 7 of the first 8 were Yamaha. Unsuccessfully bearing the four-stroke banner were Ray Little, on a Harley-Davidson, Joe Potter on another Sprint, and cycle journalist Jess Thomas on a Honda. When the green flag dropped and the machines began smoking down the straigh t toward the first sweeping righ t-hander, it became apparent that Carruthers and Rayborn were evenly matched in talent and that both were riding equally well-prepared machines. Cal led after one lap, but they were still so bunched up it was anybody's race. Jerry Green had his Yamaha right in the shadow of Rayborn's and Loyal Penn was a close third. Carruthers was running 4th. By the second trip around the twisting 2.5 mile course, Kel had picked off Penn and was trying to get around Green, a Junior from San Mateo, Calif. On the second lap Gary Fisher got his Yarnaha moving after foulding a plug on the line. As chance would have it, he got his bike strung out when the leaders were coming around, tucked in behind Rayborn and was but a few seconds (and an entire lap, of course) behind the winners at the end of 20 laps. With four laps completed, Carruthers was riding second and really pressing Rayborn. On the seventh lap he got around the flying Fisher and at the end of nine he had the lead. As Cal pursued and Kel pressed, the pace quickened and the gap between second place Rayborn • Carruthers collects hard earned brass. and 'third place, Jerry Green grew. At the finish, Cal and Kel had lapped well into the front runuing ten. While Kel and Cal turned up the pressure in a close duel for first, another battle was developing down the line. Steve McLaughlin on a Kawsaki and Ray Hempstead on a Yamaha were running side by side all around the course as they diced for fourth position. On laps fifteen through nineteen, they crossed the line with not even a bike length separating them. Coming into the fmal tum on lap twenty, Steve held a slight advantage and was able to hang onto it down the straight. F-ollowing Ray to take sixth was Fred Buttner of Detroit, Michigan on a Yarnaha. SPRING-AMA SERIES MX Falls To Higgens, Blalock By Don Woods FLOWERY BRANCH, GA., April 25, 1971 - Better than 7000 spectators set their clocks ahead for the change to Dayligh t Savings Time to make it to the first of the Spring-AMA Motocross Series. With a starting time of 10 am, far more spectators than riders must have been aware of the time change. A disappointing tum out of 16, 250 class and 11, Open class riders performed for the early crowd. The Road Atlanta crew did an outstanding job of laying out a natural terrain course on the hillside facing the starting line of the road course. While not the most spectacular [or jumps and aerial gymnastics the course was rough enough to please the most demanding of . motocross riders. The crowd got to see some neat uphill and downhill runs that were on the verge of being mind blowing. Gordon Bowden, the transplanted Irish National Champion who now lives in Jacksonville, Flordia, particularly thrilled the corwd with his wheelies up the longest hill. Gordon got so carried away with his crowd pleasing that one time he almost scattered his machine on the side of the hill. He was so far in front in his first heat, that his only real pleasure was in his crowd pleasing. He received enthusiastic applause each time he came around the course. Barry Higgins and Gary Bailey were all set to have a two hand race with no other "big name" fast guys entered in the.ir 250cc event. Ted Presson, of Bracton, Tenn., riding a stock framed 250 Yamaha DT-l thought differently. Presson jumped in to th e lead in the firs t moto and held it for over half the heat. Higgins finally managed to get around him and open up a commanding lead, bu t Bailey only managed to pass him in the last few laps. In the second moto, Higgins ran of from everyone with a real fast start. There was no way anyone could have caught him as he rapidly disappeared from the field. The only riders to se..e him during this heat were the ones he lapped. Bailey again was wondering who this guy on the Yamaha was as he had to really charge to get second place away from the unknown Presson. Jim Shotton,of Athens, Ga., got things going in this heat only to fall crossing the creek. He had to settle for fourth. Bailey finally got things together in the last moto and opened a big lead over Higgins. Higgins must have decided not to try and catch the charged up Bailey and cruised around in second, insuring his overall victory. Presson stayed in front of Shotton for three straight !lrds. The first Open moto saw the above mentioned Gordon Bowden run away from everyone for an easy victory. The race was not easy for everyone, though. Ed Shalley, of Dalton, Ga., trying to avoid a pile-up in the traffic at the start, ran his Maico into the creek. Shalley's front wheel came to a sudden stop as he dove into the bank, fortunately Shalley didn't. After getting himself and the machine back together, the young Daytona Short Track winner proceeded to attack the course with a rather unusual riding style. Marshall, who's built like a Sherman Tank, has no problems with the rough stuff. When he comes to an obstacle, instead of going over or around it, he levels it. , Bowden retired with mechanical problems, in the second moto, after getting off to another fine start. Lamar Roseberry took the lead only to fall victim to another rider crashing into him and breaking his handlebar off his Husky. He later crashed spectacularly while attempting to ride with half a handlebar. After Roseberry went dpwn, Barry Blalock of Athens, Ga., took the lead. Blalock had finished third in the first moto and now took an easy win in the second. The third moto saw a much smaller field of riders fight for the win, with Jim Shotton edging out Blalock [or the victory. Shotton, getting fourth in the 250 class, rounded out a fine day's work with a fifth overall in the Open class. Blalock's second insured him an overall victory in the Open class and the big southern win for the new Suzuki 400.